​Today is the first day of October which marks the beginning of Down syndrome awareness month.

So, why do we need to be aware of Down syndrome anyway? What is the importance of awareness and why we need to bother raising awareness or being advocates for Down syndrome? For most of us, the reason is simple. We have family members who rock an extra chromosome, whom we love desperately. Well, we think they’re pretty awesome, just as they are. We barely see a diagnosis anymore. But we know that other people do.

We would like to put out the challenge, not just to be aware of Down syndrome, but let’s acknowledge and accept Down syndrome and the value of each and every individual who has three copies of a 21st chromosome. Because it’s not just about being aware of a syndrome and secretly hoping that it’s not a syndrome we ever have to deal with personally. It is about looking past the stereotypes to see that each person with Down syndrome has hopes, dreams and abilites and are worthy members of society.

Throughout October, we look forward to sharing snippets of life with Down syndrome. We are participating in the 31 for 21 challenge and will be sharing stories, facts, and maybe even some different perspective on the challenges and joys of loving someone with Down syndrome. We look forward to demonstrating the beauty in diversity.

We hope you will join us on this ride.

But first we will leave you with one of the most basic facts about Down syndrome.

Down syndrome occurs when a person is born with 3 copies of the 21st chromosome instead of two..